Hopper car outlet construction



G. B. DOREY y July 25, 1961 HOPPER CAR OUTLET CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28, 1957 July 25, 1961 cs. B. Dom-:Y

HOPPER CAR OUTLET CONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 28, 1957 INVENTOR. Genfge Bcn/agg, BY

HOPPER CAR OUTLET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 28, 195'? 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 -|\..mln l nu M QQ@ KS mw NW,

INVENTOR. my@ ,afg

. k1. w, \i\wwwHwHwm I I. r mm f l 7, f Wm QNQHH u u @KV m2, w I Qf, QN 1H Il. mwN/f m www :j f wmlllll\ kllhlllalllk f lmwllllmmlf {cvd ll E,

July 25, 1961 G- B- DOREY 2,993,452

HOPPER CAR OUTLET CONSTRUCTION Filed March 28, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @www l INVENTOR.

United States Patent O 2,993,452 HOPIER CAR `OUTLET CONSTRUCTION George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 28, 1957, Ser. No. 649,173 6 Claims. (Cl. 10S- 282) This invention relates to an improved load discharging hopper structure of the type used in railway hopper cars and the like.

The objects of the invention, among others, are: To provide a sliding gate for closing a discharge opening wherein the gate is moved by rotary movement of a shaft carried by the gate and wherein the shaft rotates in the direction of movement of the shaft and forms an antifriction support for the gate; to provide improved bracket means for maintaining the gate against tilting or canting; and to provide means for preventing longitudinal movement of the gate by locking the shaft against rotation.

For full comprehension of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein the improvement is shown as applied to the hopper of a railway car.

In said drawings FIGURE 1 shows the lower portion of a side elevational view of a hopper of a railway car having the improved structure applied thereto, said view having certain parts broken away to better illustrate the construction;

FIGURE 2 is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, of the hopper shown in FIGURE 1 as seen on a line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of FIGURE l showing the structure with the hopper sheets removed;

FIGURE 4 is a fractional vertical elevational view taken generally on a line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view of the assembly with the gate in opened position as taken on a line 5-5 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a detached plan view of the gate;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the gate;

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational View of the gate;

FIGURE 9 is a fractional elevational view, on an enlarged scale, of a modified form of roller and associated parts; and

FIGURE l0 is a vertical side elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 9, as viewed from right to left, the supporting runway being shown in section.

In said drawings, the car structure proper is illustrated as including a center sill 10 and a side wall 11 with a hopper 12 interposed therebetween. rl'he hopper 12 is four sided and is defined in part by inner and outer side sheets as indicated at 13 and 14 which meet with longitudinally sloping end sheets 15 and 16 to complete the four sides of the hopper.

Overlying the hopper wall sheets 13, 14, 15 and 16 at the lower portions thereof is a frame 17 which includes an upper section formed of walls 18, 19, 20 and 21 which, respectively, overlie wall sheets 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the hopper proper. The frame 17 below said overlying walls 18, 19, 20 and 21 includes a lower section provided with side runways 22 and 23 and transversely extending end runways 24 and 25 on which a sliding gate 26 rests when in closed position, as shown in FIGURE 3, to close a dischrage opening defined by the marginal edges of said runways. The frame 17 below the runways 22, 23, 24 and 25 includes a four sided chutelike enclosure formed by walls 28, 29, 30 and 31 and at the lower margin of said walls there is provided a lower marginal outstanding section including walls 32 and 33 on two sides and grooved sections on the other two adjacent sides, as indicated at 34 and 35, whereby a removable chute extension may be applied to direct lading away from the hopper 12 and frame 17.

At each side of the frame 17 there is provided a depending vertical wall 36 to each of which is riveted or otherwise secured an extension runway 37 which is preferably in the form of an angle having one ange 38 extending inwardly as shown in FIGURE 2, The runways 37-37 are preferably tied transversely by an angle member 39 and the structure in turn is supported from the main hopper or car structure by framing 40.

The gate 26, FIGURE 5, extends through a slot 41 in the frame 17 between the frame wall 20 and chute wall 28 and beyond said slot the gate is provided with extensions 42 and 43 each having a circular opening 44 which form bearings for a rotatable operating shaft 45. The shaft 45 which is preferably of non-circular section, is tted with circular bearing portions 46-46 which seat in the openings 44 and extend outwardly beyond the same to provide a cylindrical bearing portion 47 at each side of the gate 26 which seats on the adjacent flange 3S and thus operates to support the outer end of the gate 26 on the extension runways 37-37.

Preferably formed integrally with each bearing portion 46 is a geared pinion 48 which is disposed outwardly of and adjacent to the related runway 37. The geared pinions 48-48 mesh with toothed racks in the form of cogs 49 lying outwardly of the runways 37 so that, upon rotation of the shaft 45, there is a translatory movement of the gate 26. An important feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of the parts whereby the rotation of the shaft 45 at all times is in the direction of movement of the gate 26 and consequently the bearings 47-47 generally function as rollers and frictional interference between the shaft 45 and runways 37 is restricted to the small extent of sliding brought about by any difference between the pitch diameter of the gear teeth of the pinions 48 and the diameter of the bearing portions 47. In certain instances where greater freedom from friction is of importance the arrangement shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, and described hereinafter, wherein the pitch diameter and the circumference of the bearing portions coincide, is employed.

The cogs 49 of the rack are preferably integrally formed with a base plate 51 which is welded, as at 52, to the related runway 37 and each cog 49 is braced to the base portion 51 by a gusset like wall 53. There are a plurality of cogs 49 associated with each runway 37 and in practice it is desirable to provide two sections of the cogs 49 and base portions 51 for each runway 37 for ease of manufacture and assembly. The ends of the cogs 49 are preferably left open in order to facilitate run off of rain, ice, snow and any lading which ordinarily might lodge on them.

The extensions 42 and 43 are braced laterally to the main body of the gate 26 by gusset braces 54 and 55 and each extension includes a hook shaped shouldered portion 56 which extends laterally, as shown in FIGURE 2, beneath the respective flange 38 of the adjacent runway 37 to prevent upward canting of the gate 26.

The extension 42 includes a wall portion 57 extending in the general direction of movement of the gate to open position and also includes an integrally formed trunnion 58 on which is pivotally mounted a locking dog 59. The dog 59 is formed with an arcuately shaped surface 60 which is adapted to register with an abutment 61, FIGURE 3, rigidly mounted on the shaft 45 to prevent rotation thereof in a gate opening direction. The abutment 61 is preferably formed on a sleeve member 62 which is telescoped over the shaft 45 and retained against axial movement thereon by a pin or rivet 63. Each bearing 46 and 47 and its pinion gear 48 is preferably in- 3 cluded in one integral member which, on its outer end, includes a collar 64 that receives a rivet 65 to prevent axial displacement on the shaft 45. Rotation of the shaft 45 may be effected byY any accepted rotating means which may be of the conventional type shown that includes an operating head 66 having a series of radially spaced socket openings 67 for receiving a removable operating bar (not shown).

In the modified construction shown in FIGURES 9 and 10 the extension runway 100, corresponding to runway 37, is shown as formed of angle shape with one ange 101 extending horizontally and the adjacent ilange 102 vertically disposed. The rack 103, which is secured to the vertically disposed flange 102 in a conventional manner, includes a series of circularly shaped cogs 104 which lie with their centers 105 substantially in alignment with the bearing surface 106 of the flanges 101. The pinion gear, indicated at 107, includes an integral cylindrical bearing section 10-8 which is adapted to roll on the surface 106 of the runway 100. The pinion gear 107 includes a series of sprocket teeth 110 which have concave pockets 111 corresponding in shape to the circular contour of the cogs 104. The diameter of the pitch circle 112 of the pinion teeth 110 is the same as the external diameter of the bearing section 108 thereby providing for rolling without sliding along the surface 106. The geared pinion 107 is spaced from the integral bearing portion 106 by a groove 113.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, one of the end walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly of said side walls, a gate slidable solely translatorily on said runways and extending through said slot, extension runways projecting in parallel relation from the side walls of said frame away from said one end wall in the direction of opening movement of the gate through said slot for supporting said gate in its translatory movement between closed and open position, the upper surfaces of said extension runways being parallel to and below the upper surfaces of said runways on said side walls, a shaft journaled on the end of said gate that extends through said slot with the ends of said shaft overlying said extension runways, cylindrical bearing portions on said ends of said shaft having rolling engagement with said upper surfaces of said extension runways, racks on said extension runways having cogs extending parallel Vto and below said shaft, pinions non-rotatably mounted on said ends of said shaft and engaging said cogs, and latching means for maintaining the gate in a given position along said runways on said side walls including an abutment extending radially from said shaft and a latching dog pivoted on said gate and movable into and out of latching engagement with said abutment.

2. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame'having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, one of the end walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly of said side walls, a gate slidable sole- `ly translatorily on said runways and extending through said slot, a shaft rotatably mounted on and parallel to said gate and extending perpendicularly transversely of said side walls and movable with said gate, a pair of pinions non-rotatably mounted in spaced relation on said shaft, a rack engaging each pinion throughout the entire extent of movement of said gate, means stationarily mounting each rack with respect to said frame parallel to each side of said gate, means for rotating said shaft to move said gate between open and closed positions, and latching means for maintaining the gate in a giVen'pQS* tion along said runways on said side walls including an abutment extending radially from said shaft and a latching dog pivoted on said gate and movable into and out of latching engagement with said abutment.

3. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, one of the end Walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly of said side walls, a gate slidable sole- Iytranslatorily on said runways and extending through said slot, a shaft rotatably mounted on and parallel to said gate and extending perpendicularly transversely of said sidewalls and projecting at each end beyond the sides of said gate and movable with said gate, a pinion non-rotatably mounted on each projecting endof said shaft, a rack engaging each pinion throughout the entire extent of movement of said gate, means stationarily mounting each rack with respect to said frame laterally outwardly of and parallel to each side of said gate, means for rotating said shaft to move said gate between open and closed positions, and latching means for maintaining the gate in a given position along said runways on said side walls including an abutment extending radially from said shaft and a latching dog pivoted on said gate and movable into and out of latching engagement with said abutment.

4. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming'a discharge opening, one of the end walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly of said side walls, a gate slidable solely translatorily on said runways and extending through said slot, extension runways projecting in parallel relation from the side walls of said frame away from said one end wall in the direction of opening movement of the gate through said slot for supporting said gate in its translatory movement between closed and open position, the upper surfaces of said extension runways being parallel to and below the upper surfaces of said runways on said side walls, a shaft journaled on the end ofgsaid gate that extends through said slot with the ends of said shaft overlying said extension runways, cylindrical bearing portions on said ends of said shaft having rolling engagement with said upper surfaces of said extension runways, racks on said extension runways having cogs extending parallel to and below said shaft, and pinions non-rotatably mounted on said ends of said shaft and engaging said cogs, said cogs lying in the plane containing said upper surfaces of said extension runways and the pitch diameter of the teeth of said pinions being the same as the outer diameter of said cylindrical bearing portions.

5. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading `and comprising, in combination, `a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, one of the end walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly Vof'said side walls, a gate slidable solely translatorily on said runways and extending through said slot, extension runways projecting in parallel relation from the side walls of said frame away from said one end wall in the direction of opening movement of the gate through said slot for supporting said gate in its translatory movement between closed and open position, the upper surfaces of said extension runways being parallel to and below the upper surfaces of said runways on said side walls, a shaft journaled on the end of said gate that extends through said slot with the ends of said shaft overlying said extension runways, cylindrical bearing portions on said ends of said shaft having rolling engagement with said upper surfaces of said extension runways, racks on Said extension runways having cogs extending parallel to and below said shaft, and pinions non-rotatably mounted on said ends of said shaft and engaging said cogs, said upper Surfaces of said extension runways on which said bearing portions roll and the centers of said cogs being coplanar and the pitch diameter of the teeth of said pinions being the same as the outer diameter of said cylindrical bearing portions.

6. A hopper discharge opening closure structure for use in a railroad car or the like having an opening providing for the downward discharge of lading and comprising, in combination, a frame having side walls and end walls forming a discharge opening, one of the end walls having a longitudinally extending slot, runways on and extending inwardly of said side walls, a gate slidable solely translatorily on said runways land extending through said slot, extension runways projecting in parallel relation `from the side walls of said frame away from said one end wall in the direction of opening movement of the gate through said slot for supporting said gate in its translatory movement between closed and open position, the upper surfaces of said extension runways being parallel to and below the upper surfaces of said runways on said side walls, a shaft journaled on the end of said gate that extends through said slot with the ends of said shaft overlying said extension runways, cylindrical bearing portions on said ends of said shaft having rolling engagement with said upper surfaces of said extension runways, racks on said extension runways having cogs extending parallel to and below said shaft, pinions non-rotatably mounted on said ends of said shaft and engaging said cogs, each of said extension runways having a laterally extending iiange, and guide means carried by said gate and extending laterally from each side thereof underneath the respective ange of said extension runways to prevent upward lift of said gate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,122,918 Hart et al. Dec. 29, 19114 1,523,363 Howell Ian. 13, 1925 2,222,280 Batho Nov. 19, 1940 2,318,763 Ditcheld May 11, 1943 2,386,702 McBride Oct. 9, 1945 2,640,438 Dorey June 2, 1953 2,791,973 Dorey May 14, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 503,824 Canada June 22, 1954 

